Back in mid-March, Ubisoft released “Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30″ to fairly strong reviews. Given the numerous WW2 games I had purchased up until this point, I was able to hold off on getting my hands dirty with French soil (and plenty of Nazi blood). Alas, the allure of hosing down a squad of krauts bent on my destruction set to the sounds of war and swelling classical music proved too much this past week. I will preface the rest of this article with the note that I am currently 50% thru the game (final conclusions to come next week) - that being said:

You think you’ve played me before…don’t you?

On the surface, the content matter and style are extremely reminiscent of many other WW2 shooters that have cropped up over the past few years. The most noticeable comparison would easily be Call of Duty. As that goes, being closely linked with such a well-done game is definitely an asset - if only to draw gamers who might otherwise be overloaded with WW2 themed games in general. It was a pleasant surprise to notice soon in just how much more this game has in terms of gameplay immersion than its close cousin COD.

Off the bat, it is clear that the command and control portion of Brothers in Arms truly gives the player a much more dynamic experience, even within the confines of a scripted FPS framework. It is not a full-blown Rainbow Six scenario - but then again, that would not fit the subject matter to try to approach it in such a completely tactically structured manner. The balance between “run & gun” and standard battlefield tactics is struck at a level that jives perfectly with both the historical accounts of the action in France on the days around D-day as well as the frantic stories of the men who actually fought there.

“This one starts off looking awful nice…wonder how it turns out…”

The game rather quickly guides you into the role of squad leader, responsible for not only achieving your objectives but also utilizing your men to the best of your ability to reduce casualties and expedite victory. You can order your men anywhere you can go (a nice alternative to the Republic Commando “sticky points” style of tactical play), as well as lay suppressing fire and the occasional headlong charge. It sounds simple, but its really not - not once you realize the men you control really CAN fight if YOU don’t put them in a position to become target practice for the mg-42s. The games creators do a good job of adding drama and atmosphere along the entire way (albeit drama you have experienced before more than a few times in COD, Saving Private Ryan, etc.) - which serves to create all the more anxiety about your battlefield choices the further you go.

The enemy AI is well done, with German soldiers who actually seem to care about saving their own skin as well as putting a few holes in yours. Your squad mates aren’t lacking in the brains department either, and they can make you proud when given proper direction in the heat of battle. And you will have plenty of heat to contend with as each new encounter begins differently and develops fluidly depending on your choices. The inclusion of a “suppression indictor” (a red circle that turns to gray gradually if enemies are kept under fire) - while at first seeming to be something that would pull you out of the game - is really a brilliant way to give tangible feedback to squad leader. The joy at seeing a well-planned tactic turn a angry-red German squad into a neutral, scared unit equals the panic of seeing when the red returns due to an ill-planned maneuver.

“That’s great, you’re doing fine…..but remember when I said Don’t let them shoot you…”

So far I have been impressed with all levels/aspects of the game and am anxious to see if the novelty of the control scheme wears thin. Graphics, audio, content and mechanics seem superb at this point (approx. halfway). Next week I will follow up with final impression as well as thoughts on some new games coming out that seek to blend genres as effectively as Brothers in Arms.

Till then, I’ll be on the road….(no, not like Chris. At least - I hope he doesn’t have to pick off any Jerries as he traverses the hedgerows of the great midwest).